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At a special meeting of the Virginia Cincinnati Society, held 
in Richmond, Va., December 15, 1905, the following Preambles 
and Resolutions were adopted, the same being moved by Mr. 
Heth Lorton and seconded by Maj. William Hancock Clark, 
Rev. Henry Bedinger, Mr. William Weldon Bentley, Mr. Tucker 
Carringtou, and Dr. Philip T. Southall : 

Note.— This was the largest meeting of the Virginia Cincinnati during a period of 
more than one hundred years, there being present twenty-five members in person and 
by proxy. 



Whereas the Institution of the Society of the Cincinnati, as adopted 
by the Founders of the Order May 10 and 13, 1783, and amended by the 
same Founders June 19, 1783, has never been legally altered or changed by 
the concurrent affirmative vote of the several State Societies, and 

Whereas the said Institution has not been and is not now being fol- 
lowed and observed, in many important particulars, by the General Society, - 
and the various State Societies, and 

Whereas .some of these particulars may be stated as follows : 

1 . State Societies do not follow the Institution as to membership con- 
sisting only of members who actually reside in each State respectively. 

It may not be feasible or desirable to follow this rule and in 
that case the Institution should be amended accordingly. 

2. State Societies do not write a circular letter annually to each State 
Society "respecting the good of the Society" as the Institution 
directs. 

If this rule is no longer desirable the Institution should be 
amended accordingly to at least leave the matter optional with the 
State Societies. » 

3. Expenses of delegates to the General Society are not paid by all the 
State Societies as the Institution orders. 

If this rule is no longer necessary the Institution .should be 
amended to at least put this matter in the discretion of each State 
Society. 

4. Annual circular letters from the State Societies, "respecting the 
good of the Society," "and their particular laws" are not "read 
and considered" at General' Society meetings as ordered by the 
Institution. 

The Institution should be amended to clearly and distinctly 
define the authority and powers of the General Society with respect 
to these matters. 






5. Eagle of the Order as adopted by the General Society at New London, 
1 8th of June, 1902, is not in accordance with the design of Major 
L'Enfant as prescribed by the Institution. 

A friendly effort should be made to induce each Society to 
conform to the L'Enfant design of the Cincinnati Eagle as clearly 
and distinctly set forth in the Institution. 

6. Many of the State Societies seein to have adopted particular Eagles 
according to their own ideas on the subject and not in accordance 
with the L'Enfant Eagle as directed by the In.stitution. 

Proper steps should be taken (by concurrent action of each 
State Society) to correct this lack of luiiformity and observance of 
the instruction of the Institution relating thereto. This should be 
done on broad minded and harmonious lines according to the prin- 
ciples of the Institution and to prevent interference with existing 
Eagles now possessed by individual members, but the rule to apply 
to all Eagles to be issued to members in the future. 

7. Aiuuial meeting dates of some of the State Societies not in accord 
with the date prescribed by the Institution. 

There may be excellent reasons for changing this annual 
meeting date by some of the State Societies — and if this is true the 
Institution should be amended to at least allow each State vSociety, 
in its own discretion, to change the annual meeting date for good 
and sufficient reasons. 

8. The Institution requires the General Society to meet on the first 
Monday in May. This meeting date has been changed by the 
General Society without apparent authority under the Institution. 

If this change is desirable or necessary the Institution should 
be amended to give the General Society proper authority to make 
the change. Neither the General Society nor any of the different 
State Societies should "be a law unto itself " in matters that are 
contrary to clear and distinct provisions of the Institution. 

g. Most of the State Societies have different rules for the admission of 
members, some of which seem in direct conflict with the rules laid 
down by the Institution. 

Some of these rules flcy se may be wi.se and desirable changes 
of the Institution, and if such is the ca.se an earnest effort should 
be made to bring all the " rules of admission" in harmony .so that 
each State Society shall have identical rules and regulations for 
the admission of members, as was clearly intended by the Founders 
of the Order and which is only proper and right in " one Society 
of Friends." The Institution should be amended accordingly. 

lo. The (so-called) Rule of 1854 is observed in various ways by many 
of the State Societies. It is in direct conflict with the admission 
rules laid down by the Institution, but was twice adopted by the 
General Society (in 1851 and 1854) and both times it failed to become 
valid, because not ratified by the several State Societies. 

In view of the fact that the membership of the Cincinnati 
Society has dwindled from an original membership of 1,956 (exclu- 
sive of the French Society) to 792 (May, 1905) and for other 
reasons, it would seem that the Rule of 1854 itself^ may be a desir- 
able and necessary one, with certain modifications, but if this is 



true tlie Institution should be so amended as to admit of no doubt 
■on this important subject, and the Rule of 1854 made a le(;al and 
not an illegal rule as a large number of the members of the 
Cincinnati Society now regard it. 

1 1 . The assessment dues for new members in many of the State Societies 
are different and seem to be arbitrary in many cases, and not in 
accordance with the true meaning and intent of the principles of the 
Institution. 

Surely in ' ' one Society of Friends ' ' there should be uniformity 
in an important matter like this, and the subject should be taken 
up in a fair minded and harmonious spirit, and a uniform system 
of assessments, dues or fees be adopted (by concurrent action of 
each State Society) to apply alike to the several State Societies, or 
at least each State Society should be given the option of applying 
one of several certain fixed rates for different classes of new mem- 
bers, and the Institution amended accordingly to admit of no 
doubt or erroneous construction on this subject in the future, and 

Whereas, owing to the foregoing and other reasons much confusion, 
erroneous construction of the Institution and lack of uniformity now exists 
and has existed in the government, customs, rules and methods of the 
General Society and the various State Societies all of which tends to lessen 
the dignity and usefulness of the Order and does not " conduce to the general 
intendment of the Society " according to the principles of the Institution, 
and with the view of securing uniform order and system, so far as possible, 
iu the government, customs, rules and methods of the General Society and 
the several State Societies, and to define and determine more clearly than at 
present the authority, duties, powers and functions of the General Society, 
the General Ofiicers, the standing Executive Committee of the General 
Society and the different State Societies, and 

Whereas any action by the General Society on the matters herein con- 
tained is limited to suggestions to the State Societies and can have no legal 
or binding effect whatever until ratified by the several State Societies, and in 
order to have this whole subject thoroughly and intelligently discussed and 
understood by each of the State Societies before it is presented to the General 
Society, 

Therefore be it 

Resolved I. The Society of the Cincinnati in all the State Branches 
should have, as far as possible, uniform government, customs, rules and 
methods as is fitting and proper in " one Society of Friends" and in accord- 
ance with the principals of the Institution and the true meaning and intention 
of the Founders of the Order. 

Resolved II. That a committee of three members of this Society be and 
are hereby appointed to correspond with each of the other State Societies on 
the foregoing and other similar subjects, in accordance with the provision of 
the Institution, which reads: "Each State meeting shall write annually, or 
oftener if necessary, a circular letter to the State Societies, noting whatever 
they may think worthy of observation, respecting the good of the Society." 

Resolved III. That each State Society be requested to appoint at once 
a similar committee, who are not General Officers, for the purposes as stated. 



Resolved IV. That these State Committees, after correspondence, be 
requested to attend a general meeting at some convenient time and place, or 
send a delegate to such general meeting, for the purpose of more fully con- 
sidering the matters herein contained and for concerting measures and putting 
in shape some feasible plan for accomplishing the objects above mentioned, 
" for the good of the Society" as the Institution prescribes. 

Resolved V. That each State Committee as above be requested to 
promptly communitate to its State Society at a special meeting called for the 
purpose or at its annual meeting the reconmiendations of the above com- 
mittees of three and of the General Meeting above referred to, in order that 
appropriate action may be taken thereon and the subject presented, at the 
proper time, in the General Society. 

Resolved VI. For convenience and in order to expedite and facilitate the 
consideration of the matters herein, the Chairman of the Virginia Committee is 
hereby authorized and requested to call a General Meeting of the committees 
of three from the different State Societies whenever it may be convenient 
and desirable to hold such meeting. 

Resolved VII. That in promulgating the above Preambles and Resolves 
the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia is actuated by sentiments 
of the most cordial and affectionate regard for the whole Cincinnati Society, and 
with the single desire and purpose to promote "the safety, honor and welfare " 
of the Society on broad minded and intelligent principles, which should, 
indeed, always actuate " one Society of Friends," and "conduce to the general 
intendment of the Society" in accordance with the principles of the 
Institution. 

Resolved VIII. That the Chairman of the Virginia Committee, as above, 
is hereby directed to communicate immediately the foregoing Preambles and 
Resolves officially to the several State Societies and also to send a copy to 
each member of the Cincinnati Society. 



Ill accordance with the foregoing the ttndersigned were 
appointed a Correspondence Committee, and it is requested that 
replies to the above Circular Letter be addressed to the Chairman 
at 42 Broadway, New York. 

HETH LORTON, Chairman, 
GEORGE BEN JOHNSTON, 
WILLIAM HANCOCK CLARK, 

Committee. 
New York, December 27th, 1905. 




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